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Batgirl Vol 3 3
Scarecrow: "But if you stay, you're forced to face yourself. And no one is brave enough to face who they really are!" Steph: "I am." Scarecrow: "And who might that be!?!" Steph: "'''I'm Batgirl.'"'' It’s a new look and a new costume for the all-new Batgirl! As crime in Gotham City continues to rise, the newest member of the Bat-family vows to wear the mantle of the Bat and fight alongside Batman and Robin in their war on crime. There’s just one problem: She hasn’t told Batman and Robin yet! Summary of Stephness: Barbara's analysis reveals that the new "Thrill" drug has the same components as The Scarecrow's fear toxin. Despite knowing she's facing a nightmare of a rogue, Stephanie decides to plunge into Devil's Square and bust open the operation anyway. Barbara grudgingly agrees to work with her. Steph plunges an inoculation shot into her leg, despite her fear of needles. Babs warns the inoculation might not completely work on the new drug. Stephanie remembers that Scarecrow is working for the new Black Mask now and orders herself, "not to go to the Black Mask place right now." Stephanie confronts the Scarecrow, and he is less than impressed by his opponent's stature and sidekick status. Steph knees him in the stomach to let him know she means business, and he retaliates by unleashing the Thrill. Stephanie is inoculated enough not to go into a blind rage at the drugs behest, but she starts to hallucinate and Babs begins to fear for her. Stephanie first imagines that she sees Tim Drake telling her that she wasn't a good enough hero to save the city and wasn't a good enough girlfriend to keep him from leaving while he beats on her. In reality, it's the Scarecrow beating on her, and when Stephanie tries to make a run for it at Barbara's urging, he smashes her headfirst through a glass door. Stephanie then hallucinates that she is now facing herself as Spoiler. Spoiler mocks Steph about how they've been on the brink of death before, and after all the mistakes she's made, Stephanie deserves to just lay down and die. Crippled with self doubt, a beaten and bloodied Steph responds, "Maybe...". She flashes back to her mom telling her she can be anyone she wants, the thug she faced in her first foray as Batgirl asking who she is, and Barbara asking her if she has a death wish, and remembers that she is who she chooses to be... Just as Scarecrow is about to deliver the killing blow, Barbara breaks down and yells, "Batgirl! Wake up!" Barbara finally accepting her is enough to motivate Stephanie to pull herself out of her funk and break Scarecrow's foot before he could hurt her, declaring, "Maybe not." She tells the Scarecrow while fighting him that people run from things because they could become different people wherever they land, but the reason people stayed in a place like Gotham or a cesspool like Devil's Square was for a second chance. The Scarecrow retorts that if people stayed, they had to face themselves, and no one was brave enough to face who they really were. Stephanie says she is. When the Scarecrow asks who she might be, she confidently tells him she's Batgirl while KO'ing him with a final kick. Barbara, near tears in relief over Stephanie making it and inspired by her speech, steeples her fingers and says, "You just might be. Atta girl." The cops come in and Stephanie makes a quick exit by throwing a Batarang at a pipe to release some smoke to cover her vanishing act. She later leaves Nick Gage a note on his window in red paint thanking him for not shooting her and signs it, "Love, Santa's Little Helper" (making fun of the officer's nickname "Saint Nick"). Stephanie even makes her mom some waffles the next morning! Barbara decides to make amends and reconnect with the world. She even reaches out to Wendy Harris, the Calculator's crippled daughter, and lets her know that she's here if Wendy ever needs to talk out her anger. Stephanie goes to her college later to find that Barbara now has a job at her university as an assistant professor in Comp 480. She asks if they could get together later, as Babs has something to teach her. In the Batcave, Barbara gives Stephanie an oath in the same spot that Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson did theirs- she vows to guide and support Stephanie. Stephanie responds that she has Barbara's back too, and that neither of them are alone in this. Barbara even gives Stephanie a new Batgirl costume to replace Cassandra's tattered one. The issue ends with Stephanie joyfully swinging into action to stop a robbery in her brand new uniform, dodging bullets and shouting, "Here we go!" Other Formats/Collected In: Digital Comic Book Batgirl: Batgirl Rising TPB Category:Appearances Category:Batgirl Category:Covers Category:Spoiler